Olbermann: FOX 'has become the enemy of American democracy'

In a video-taped monologue posted on Current.com, ahead of his Current TV debut on June 20, Keith Olbermann cited Ed Rendell, James Murdoch and Bill O'Reilly as contenders for the 'worst person of the day' and said FOX is an enemy of democracy in America.

These opinions and perspectives have, at times, alienated him from his employer, as was the case in the divide between Mr. Olbermann and the executives at MSNBC.

"MSNBC executives have long planned for the day the network’s star might be sent packing, and the rise of Rachel Maddow at MSNBC–along with the grooming of Lawrence O’Donnell as a potential replacement for Olbermann–appears to have hastened the host’s departure," Mark Joyella reported in January for Mediaite. "While Olbermann and his iconic Countdown have been immensely important in the resurgence of MSNBC, Olbermann’s friction with management has been a sticking point. At many points–including the recent suspension over political contributions–tensions rose so high as to lead to serious discussions inside MSNBC about firing their star."

However, Mr. Olbermann has a new boss in former Vice President Al Gore.

"Incidentally, do you have any idea how nice it is to say 'my boss, Al Gore,'" Olbermann crooned in his "worst person of the day" monologue for the Current TV online-only audience. Olbermann's new Current TV show is scheduled to debut on June 20, and his transmissions to date have been relegated specifically to the Internet platform.

But during his monologue, Mr. Olbermann had specific commentary reserved for FOX News commentary host Bill O'Reilly, who won the "worst person of the day" distinction, and for the Murdoch family, who oversee the News Corporation empire, saying specifically that "Fox has become the enemy of American democracy."

"Murdoch decided to impress daddy by kicking our network, Current, off of his cable system, Sky Italia, long after his employees there had worked out a deal to keep the network on," Olbermann explained. "You have to understand that in Italy, where an aging, debauched, corrupt media magnet, an Italian Rupert Murdoch, is the prime minister. Current is the primary independent television news network for an entire country."

Mr. Olbermann seemed to be taking this news personally.

"It appears, and I'll take my boss, Al Gore's word for this, that this was a preemptive strike by Murdoch and Fox against us and against me," Olbermann concluded. "Because we all know how well it worked out the last time for FOX when daddy pirate fired me ten years ago this month for reporting the truth about his negotiations to sell his baseball team, even though I had cleared that reporting with all of Rupert's right hand men. Right, Jimmy Murdoch, that's how to impress dad. Repeat his dumbest mistake and remind his greatest American foe to keep reminding everybody of the threats that the Murdochs and FOX are to freedom of speech in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in this country, and how FOX has become the enemy of American democracy."